Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial?

The world is full of sure people.
I don’t mean confident people.
I mean sure people – sure they’re right and those that don’t agree with them are wrong.

They know what is best. They know what is ‘the best’.
They know where you should live, what you should wear, drive, read, watch, worship, love, hate, etc.
I was more like that until someone made me unsure. In retrospect, they probably did me a favour, but it didn’t have to be so horrible. Ironically, they haven’t changed.
I knew what was right and wrong; I really knew what was wrong.
I didn’t know that what I didn’t know was more important than what I knew. I’m pretty sure about that.

Sure people don’t need to listen to other people, they’re already sure they’re right.
They’ve made up their minds. Often, not even facts will alter that.

I’m a voracious reader. I can tell you why I like or dislike a book, but I don’t know if you’ll like it.
Same goes for TV, movies, restaurants, clothes, technology.
I can recommend.
I can advocate.
I can oppose.
But only you can decide.

Image/Random House

I was thinking of Sure People when reading a surprisingly funny and fascinating book, Would You Baptize An Extraterrestrial? (And Other Strange Questions from the Inbox at the Vatican Observatory)by two witty Jesuit astronomers, primarily involved in research, who try to answer all the wild and wacky questions posed to the Vatican, but in a conversational, refreshing, and unexpectedly, amusing style. Pope Francis said last year he would baptize a Martian…hmm, are they trying to prepare us for a coming invasion? This book tries to show that religion and science don’t have to be at odds. People can believe in both. Do you think that’s true, dear readers? I certainly think we have more important things to worry about. We too often go for ‘or’ when we should use ‘and’. Economy and the environment, not or. Security and civil liberties, not or.

Which brought me to trust, can we trust when we’re not sure?
We can observe, listen, use our instincts and critical thinking, look for facts, question, see the world as it is…I prefer reality, if I want fantasy, I’ll watch TV or a movie, read a book or listen to governments.Which brings me back to, the Sures. The more I learn, the more I hear, see, and observe, the more I wonder.

I’m only sure of so many things in this world: Love. Compassion. Hope. And cookies, and who knows, maybe those aren’t even what they seem.

There are a lot of people who are sure about things because science tells them to be and science offers proof of its assertions. The unfortunate thing is that scientists know that nothing is 100% and things can change with new information. This is not something many I have met are familiar with – they think once science says one thing, it must be true forever.
I have to remind people that not all that long ago, everyone was convinced the world was flat and the sun revolved around the Earth. Such belief was taken as fact. Now we all know the world is not flat, we all know the Earth revolves around the sun and any assertions otherwise are silly.
A more recent example would be Pluto. I was raised with the belief that Pluto is a planet. I learned the order of the planets in the solar system with the MVEMJSUNP jingle – My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Since my school days, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet rather than a regular planet. Also there is Ceres, another dwarf planet in our solar system.

As for the use of ‘or’ rather than ‘and,’ that is more related to propaganda and the intention of those using the words than anything else. People use ‘or’ when they want to evoke a more emotional investment in the issue or stir up feelings of anger or distrust. It is easy to accomplish this by phrasing the issue in terms of a choice – making the two sides of the issue mutually exclusive and requiring of a strong choice

Excellent insights. Science is evolving all the time, things change. 🙂
When my son was young he learned the planets from the Blue’s Clues song and now, that song wouldn’t work, sigh. 😉
Thanks for dropping by, as always your wise words are helpful. 🙂

Donna, interesting and thought-provoking post. Sometimes I’m no sure about something until I have researched more or let it settle in my brain for a few days. The wondering in between for me is the safe area. Christine

I do think that religion and science can coexist – it doesn’t make any sense to say that they can’t. As for the Martian ambassador, it’s probably better qualified than some of his inside-the-beltway appointments…just sayin’

I’m not sure about most things and someone telling me something is a sure thing, of course it is, doesn’t sway me in the least. I like to check / weigh / analyse fact myself to make a decision.
Fascinating post as always, DP. Wonderful discussion. ❤

Cool title for a book! Great post, too. And I think that yes, absolutely we can still trust when we aren’t sure. We can trust that we’re learning something new and expanding our minds, and that we may even come to a new conclusion that is more complete than what we believed before.

Yes, the more uncertain I become too. Sure has never been an adjective used to describe me unless “you sure are crazy.” The idea of missionaries trying to convert alien invaders is one that definitely needs to be explored…. ; )

Wow am I with you on this one. I have no idea when so many peoples brains became full! I knew more at 16 (Because I knew everything) than I do now. Each year I realize how much I don’t know and probably never will. I like the AND instead of OR bit too!

My Dad used to call them the “I Know Years” and boy was he right, I also knew everything, like you and like you, I now realize how much I don’t know and probably never will. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by, hope this day is treating you kindly, Anita. 🙂

Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
DEPENDS WHETHER THEY REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT Christ IS GOD INCARNATE WHO DIED AS A SCRIFICE FOR OUR SINS–AND THEIR SINS– AND ROSE AGAIN, AS FIRST FRUITS OF ETERNAL LIFE LIVED WITH THE FATHER AND THE LAMB (CHRIST) IN THE NEW JERUSALEM ON A NEW EARTH AND UNDER A NEW HEAVEN! 🙂

Sounds like a cool book. I’ll check it out! And, yeah, I’d definitely baptize an alien, assuming it was a carbon-based life form. Not that I have anything against beings of light–it’s just hard to get them wet.

P.S. The only thing you can know for sure is what you’ve experienced…and even that is unreliable. But I do believe that there are basic principles which have proven themselves over time…like the principle of compassion.

I find it – I was going to say amusing, but it’s not – sad how many single-minded people (aka ideologues) are quick to call someone who changes his/her mind a “flip-flopper,” as if it’s a sin to go where deeper thinking or the evidence leads. How much easier it is to label the other guy than to challenge your own thinking.

Great post, Donna…crazy great title! I’m confident in loving kindness 😀 And I’m quick to identify the sure folks of every stripe in order to not take the bait of their details. Yes, religion and science can dance beautifully together and even the sure folks may need my loving kindness from time to time just like I may need theirs ❤

The authors and publisher will be very pleased to hear that.
Italy, like every country probably has its pros and cons, but the food, oh the food must be magnificent!
Your wife loves you enough to go, and what’s so bad about being dragged to Italy? 😉

Chocolate comes from a tree, right, so it’s like a plant which makes it salad. Please donate so I can buy more ‘salad’ and more ‘salad’ equals more posts.

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Mother, Nehiyaw, Metis, & Itisahwâkan - career communicator. This is my collection of opinions, stories, and the occasional rise to, or fall from, challenge. In other words, it's my party, I can fun if I want to. .................................................................. Artwork by aaronpaquette.net